April 4, 2019

04Apr

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Why Harder, other valley reps are asking EPA for close review of delta water plan

Modesto Bee

Political leaders from the valley are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to closely scrutinize new water quality standards proposed for the San Joaquin-Sacramento delta.

Mayor at odds with Modesto’s $2.6 million offer to settle medical insurance claims

Modesto Bee

Modesto is moving forward with its plan to try to settle millions of dollars of city employees’ unpaid medical claims under the assumption that medical providers will accept one-third of what they are owed.

Central SJ Valley:

Special election to fill vacant Fresno City Council seat set for August

abc30

Nathan Alonzo has lined up the support of Fresno’s political establishment in his run for the District 4 city council seat. Paul Caprioglio currently holds the seat but will term out next year. Alonzo has the support of Caprioglio, along with Fresno’s mayor, police chief, and sheriff.

McEwen: Brandau and Bredefeld Deserve to be Read the Riot Act

GV Wire

If anyone deserves a big-league butt-chewing from the fictional Col. Nathan Jessup, it’s the north Fresno councilmen who find themselves buffeted by the city’s newly liberal political winds.

South SJ Valley:

EDITORIAL: Congressman TJ Cox did not disclose some business interests as required. That’s troubling

Fresno Bee

What the people of the 21st District need most is for Cox to avoid these bothersome paperwork errors that call his competence into question.

State:

Harsh exchange with Democrat lands a California Republican in the Capitol ‘dog house’

Fresno Bee

The cramped corner office dubbed “the dog house” is now home to a Republican who offended the top Democrat in the California Assembly. During a March 27 education hearing, Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Granite Bay, lashed out over a Democratic proposal to prevent Teach for America members from working in the state’s poorest schools.

Judge orders California to open voter registration at welfare offices, student aid centers

San Francisco Chronicle

A judge has ordered California elections officials to expand voter registration throughout the state to county welfare offices and student financial aid centers.

Mendoca: Through ‘inclusive capitalism,’ California leads from the front

The Hill

Some pundits and skeptics are questioning whether California can sustain its job-creation success. They’re asking whether businesses are suddenly moving out of state and dooming the “California Dream.” Nonsense.

EDITORIAL: Should Sacramento toughen the rules on who may run for president?

Los Angeles Times

Since the 2016 election, more than two dozen states, including California, have considered adding another requirement for those who want to be included on the 2020 presidential primary ballot: They must disclose their federal tax returns.

Federal:

Senate Republicans alter chamber rules to fast-track some Trump nominees

abc30

Senate Republicans approved a rare change in the chamber’s rules slashing the debate time for many of President Trump’s nominees, putting them on a fast-track.

See also:

House Democrats authorize subpoenas for Mueller report

abc30

House Democrats have authorized subpoenas for the full Mueller report and underlying materials, unsatisfied with Attorney General Barr’s plans for a redacted report.

See also:

Trump claims he wasn’t seeking pre-election health care vote

Sacramento Bee

President Donald Trump is now suggesting he never wanted Congress to vote to replace the Affordable Care Act until after the 2020 election.

See also:

Key House Democrat Formally Asks For Trump’s Tax Returns

Capital Public Radio

Rep. Richard Neal, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, asked the IRS commissioner for six years of President Trump’s personal tax returns, as well as returns for some of his businesses.

See also:

Kirstjen Nielsen has hung on as Homeland Security secretary, but at what price?

Los Angeles Times

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen put down her pen, stood up and hugged the officials from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, thanking them for their work on what she hailed as a “historic” pact to target unauthorized migration.

Trump Likely to Announce Plans for Summit With China’s Xi on Thursday

Wall Street Journal

President Trump may announce plans for a summit with China’s President Xi Jinping on Thursday when he meets with the country’s vice premier, signaling that contentious trade talks between the two countries may be nearing conclusion.

See also:

House Democrats make habit of voting on legislation that doesn’t change any laws

Roll Call

House Democrats are forming a nonbinding habit. For four legislative weeks in a row, the new majority has held votes on resolutions that do not carry the force of law and are designed simply to send a message.

EDITORIAL: The White House should come clean on security clearances

Los Angeles Times

Of course it is difficult not to savor the irony in a White House whistleblower’s claim that the Trump administration improperly granted security clearances to more than two dozen individuals.

Elections 2020:

Joe Biden says, ‘I get it,’ after women accuse him of inappropriate touching

abc30

Former Vice President Joe Biden responded on Wednesday to the extensive criticism he’s faced after several women accused him of making them uncomfortable.

See also:

PolitiFact Checks Statements By Democrats On The 2020 Campaign Trail

Capital Public Radio

PolitiFact California reporter Chris Nichols checks statements by Senator Kamala Harris and editor Angie Holan checks statements by former Gov. John Hickenlooper and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke.

The Democrats need a candidate who speaks to Springsteen voters

Los Angeles Times

With Sherrod Brown out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, a crucial question arises: Who will be the Bruce Springsteen candidate?

Kamala Harris’ mortgage meltdown record under scrutiny

San Francisco Chronicle

Sen. Kamala Harris points to how she wrestled $20 billion from banks as California attorney general during the housing meltdown.

Does the ‘content of their character’ still matter in the 2020 race?

Roll Call

What cannot be disputed is a simple message stripped down — that in life, character matters. It is a message that is aspirational, something to live by and pass on to the next generations.

Other:

Progressivism Is Radicalizing the Democratic Party

The Atlantic

Liberals wondering why conservatives who worry about Trump don’t join the Democrats should consider what is happening on their own side of the aisle.

Millions of Facebook accounts found on Amazon cloud servers

Washington Post

More than 540 million Facebook records — including users’ comments, likes, account names and more — were left exposed by a third-party company on an Amazon cloud-computing server.

Bill Unveiled to Give Local News Outlets More Power to Counter Google, Facebook

Variety

A top House Democrat and Republican introduced legislation on Wednesday designed to give local news publishers a boost in negotiating with much larger tech platforms like Google and Facebook.

YouTube Executives Ignored Warnings, Let Toxic Videos Run Rampant

Bloomberg

Proposals to change recommendations and curb conspiracies were sacrificed for engagement, staff say.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, April 7, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Countdown to the 2020 Census” – Guests: Secretary of State Alex Padilla; Sarah Bohn, PPIC; and John Meyers, the Los Angeles Times. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, April 7, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Census & Immigration: Distinctly Different Issues Intersect” – Guests: Laura Hill, PPIC: Taryn Luna, the Sacramento Bee; Dan Walters, CALmatters; Secretary of State Alex Padilla: Sarah Bohn, PPIC; and John Myers, the Los Angeles Times. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, April 7, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Tren de alta velocidad… atorado en trafico?” – Guest: Margarita Fernandez, Jefe de Relaciones Publicas de las Oficina de la Auditora Estatal. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Gallo is buying 34 wine and spirit brands you’ve heard of — for $1.7 billion

Modesto Bee

E.&J. Gallo Winery has 34 new wine and spirit brands to its name after reaching a $1.7 billion deal to purchase properties from its rival Constellation Brands.

Chickens, other poultry banned from September’s Kern County Fair

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Fair has canceled this September’s poultry show and live poultry exhibits on the advice of California State Veterinarian Annette Jones. An outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease has had a devastating effect on poultry and poultry producers across the state, she said.

Pork industry to gain power over inspections

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration plans to shift much of the power and responsibility for food safety inspections in hog plants to the pork industry as early as May, cutting the number of federal inspectors by about 40% and replacing them with plant employees.

Holy Guacamole: Would America Really ‘Run Out Of Avocados’ If Trump Closes The Border?

Capital Public Radio

Given Trump’s repeated threats to close the border and America’s avocado obsession, PolitiFact California decided the time was ripe for a fact check.

Bipartisan bill to protect legal cannabis businesses introduced

The Hill

A bipartisan bill protecting state laws regulating marijuana use from the federal government was re-introduced on Thursday in the House and Senate.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

Out of the car, Siri. California urged to ban even hands-free cellphone use for drivers

Fresno Bee

California already busts drivers for holding their phones behind the wheel – but it got a call Wednesday to become the first state to ban even hands-free use of electronic devices by motorists.

California considers tougher standards for drivers who drink

abc30

In California, two drinks may soon be too much for most of us if lawmakers and drunk driving victims get their way. They’ve proposed a bill in California’s State Assembly called Liam’s Law. It would impose a stricter legal alcohol limit on drivers, from .08 to .05.

See also:

Driver complacency driving up auto theft rate in Modesto

Modesto Bee

With the city’s auto theft rate ranking in the top 10 nationally for more than a decade, including the No. 1 spot several times, the Modesto Police Department looked at the causes of the crime and found that nearly a quarter of them were preventable.

Voters get say on bail, judges urge reform

Visalia Times Delta

California’s no cash bail law is on hold until the November 2020 election. But, leaders in criminal justice plan to move forward with reforms to the state’s pretrial detention system.

Gavin Newsom could be ahead of the curve on the death penalty

San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision last month to declare a moratorium on the death penalty in California drew instant complaints that he was tromping on the will of the people who voted down a ban on capital punishment in 2016.

See also:

A Closer Look at Women’s Arrest Rates

Public Policy Institute of California

A recent PPIC report found that while arrest rates declined for both men and women, they dropped significantly more for men than for women (57% and 13%, respectively) between 1980 and 2016.

House Democrats Seek to Expand Domestic-Violence Bill

Wall Street Journal

House Democrats’ effort to prevent domestic abusers from possessing guns has roiled debate over a landmark domestic-violence bill that typically secures bipartisan support.

Public Safety:

You can now send a text for help to 9-1-1 in Visalia

abc30

Visalia police launched a new way to reach 9-1-1 in emergencies. If you’re in a position where you need help, but can’t make a phone call, you can now send a text to 9-1-1.

Sales soar after ban on ammunition magazines ruled ‘unconstitutional’

abc30

Gun stores are eagerly welcoming back California customers after the state’s nearly twenty-year ban on certain ammunition magazines was declared unconstitutional.

See also:

New protection for SJ deputies

Stockton Record

The Sheriff’s Office unveiled 20 of its “Helus shields” on Wednesday — a stark contrast from the current hard ballistic shields already in use by the sergeant unit.

Why California’s proposed law on deadly police force isn’t as tough as it seems

Los Angeles Times

In the aftermath of several controversial police shootings in California, activists and victims’ families have hoped their anguish would lead to action. They have protested, pleaded and lobbied for a law that would clear long-standing hurdles to criminal prosecution in some cases.

Human Trafficking In Fresno: A Huge Problem And Hard To Prosecute

Bakersfield Californian

Last week, Fresno Mayor Lee Brand introduced a new initiative aimed at combating a huge problem here in the Valley: Human trafficking. The initiative brings together city government, law enforcement, and aid organizations, many of which have been addressing trafficking for years.

Pregnant prison guards say California forces them to choose: Their jobs or their babies

Sacramento Bee

California state correctional officers who become pregnant face a difficult choice, according to a newly filed class action lawsuit.

California’s juvenile reform plan must lead to wider changes and true justice

Sacramento Bee

At his inauguration, Gov. Newsom made a bold promise to tear down California’s juvenile justice system and replace it with a smarter approach. What most Californians may not realize is that this is about more than teens and criminal justice.

Let States Jam Prison Cellphones

Wall Street Journal

A narrow reading of a 1934 federal law allows inmates to commit more crimes. ‘Reception is so bad . . . I’m trying to get over to Verizon, so that way every time, if it’s in my pocket or whatever, your call’s still gonna come in and I can hear you clearer.”

Pack the Court? Putting a popular imprint on the federal judiciary

Bloomberg

Today, Democratic politicians and others under a “pack the Court” banner advocate adding two or more seats to the Supreme Court to undo the slim five-justice Republican-appointee majority.

EDITORIAL: Why good move by Sheriff Dirkse needs to be followed with full transparency

Modesto Bee

This much is certain: Each of these recordings, and thousands more each day across the United States, encourage us to talk about law enforcement, what officers do and how it affects us. That’s a good thing.

Fire:

California eyes risk pool as it struggles with costly fires

Bakersfield Californian

Officials were struggling Wednesday to find ways for homeowners to afford insurance in fire-prone areas of California and for utilities to survive liability from devastating wildfires that threaten to worsen with climate change.

Federal Judge Imposes New Probation Terms On PG&E To Reduce Wildfire Risk

Capital Public Radio

The utility company is already on probation for its felony conviction related to a 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion.

See also:

You don’t have to live close to wildfires for them to kill you

Los Angeles Times

For nearly two weeks last November, smoke from the Camp fire drained 150 miles down the Central Valley and out toward the sea, engulfing Sacramento and the whole Bay Area. San Francisco looked — and breathed — like New Delhi, the world’s most polluted city.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

Fresno Target stores join latest trend of shopping without leaving your car. Here’s how

Fresno Bee

Target stores in Fresno and Clovis, California, have introduced a new feature from its app called Drive Up, a same day shopping service letting customers pick up purchases in the parking lot, like Walmart.

Walmart misled customers with oversized containers, California prosecutors say. Now it’ll pay

Fresno Bee

California district attorneys, including Fresno, accused Walmart of misleading customers by packaging some health & beauty products in oversized containers. Now the discount retailer will pay a $495,000 settlement.

See also:

Trump’s economic advisers want to exempt commercial trade if he closes border

abc30

President Donald Trump has not yet decided about closing the southern border, but a top adviser has said he and others had serious concerns about the economic impact.

See also:

A surging economy makes the Democratic campaign to raise the minimum wage superfluous

Washington Post

The discussion may be superfluous, because so many major employers across the country are already raising wages and the paychecks of lower-income Americans are showing significant gains.

Jobs:

Telcom giants are coming to the Valley, and they’re bringing 1,000 jobs

Fresno Bee

Kingsburg has been selected by T-Mobile and Sprint as the site for a new telephone call center that will eventually employ about 1,000 people.

See also:

Disney faces gender pay lawsuit, accused of paying women less than men

Los Angeles Times

Two female employees sued Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday, alleging the company is violating the state’s equal pay act and paying women less than men doing similar work.

2019 Job Killers – Advocacy

California Chamber of Commerce

The California Chamber of Commerce has released its annual Job Killer list, which includes 24 bills that would harm California’s economic growth and job creation should they become law.

Lawmakers Push New Retirement Legislation

Wall Street Journal

Congress is making another push on legislation that could make it easier for small companies to offer 401(k) plans and for workers to guarantee themselves an annual income after they retire.

Think Ex-Felons Should Be Working? Then Give Them a Chance

Bloomberg

These laws, which have existed for two decades, prohibit employers from asking job candidates about their criminal history until closer to the end of the hiring process rather than on the initial application.

EDUCATION

K-12:

Slatic did not tell the truth about tussle. Did Fresno authorities take him at his word?

Fresno Bee

The Fresno County DA’s Office, according to its own news release, said it could not charge district trustee Terry Slatic unless it could be proven that Slatic touched the 15-year-old in a harmful or offensive manner, and that Slatic did not act in self-defense.

Quail Lake Charter School earns ‘Green Ribbon Schools Award’

abc30

Going green earned Quail Lake Charter School the “Green Ribbon Schools Award.” The honor from the California Department of Education is given to schools that promote eating healthy, environmental literacy and resource conservation.

Administrators unveil new Reedley Middle College High School campus

abc30

Reedley Middle College High School finally has permanent classrooms and buildings to call its own. Administrators unveiled the new $9 million campus Wednesday during a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.

States sue Trump administration over school lunches

abc30

A group of states is suing the Trump administration over changes it made to school lunch nutrition standards initially championed by Michelle Obama.

Students to receive 5,000 books

Madera Tribune

The Walt Disney Company and the nonprofit company First Book recently launched a partnership with the local United Way to distribute 5,000 books to Valley students.

Will Oakland Teachers move to Madera?

Madera Tribune

Rumor has it that Madera’s teachers and its school board are on the verge of settling their labor-negotiation differences. While neither the teachers’ union nor the administration are saying much publicly, the word on the street is that they are about to reach an agreement on the current contract.

Westlands Water District announces scholarship application period for college-bound seniors

Hanford Sentinel

Westlands Water District is pleased to announce it is accepting applications for the District’s annual scholarship program.

Lemoore, and county educators, employees clean up at annual Kings County Excellence in Education Awards Ceremony in Hanford

Lemoore Leader

Lemoore education, in a way, was one of the big winners at Tuesday night’s Excellence in Education Awards ceremony held at Hanford’s Civic Center. When all was said and done, Kings County’s top administrator and employee both hail from Lemoore.

California Students Part Of Record Number Of Female Competitors In Contest To Design Energy-Efficient Vehicles

Capital Public Radio

This year, nearly a quarter of the participants in Shell’s Eco-Marathon identify as female, marking the largest proportion for the event to date.

Lack of effective state education data system holds students back

EdSource

When Gov. Gavin Newsom recently proposed building a statewide data system to track students from pre-K through college and into the labor market, the empirical researcher in me said: “Finally.”

Progressives Threaten to Destroy School Reform

Wall Street Journal

Education scholars recently wrote that the school-reform movement is losing its mojo, not because it has run out of useful ideas but because it has become populated by progressives who prefer to prioritize anti-Trump “resistance.”

Higher Ed:

Fresno City College is finally set to get a parking structure, but it may be a wait

Fresno Bee

Fresno City College is finally slated to get a new parking structure that will have up to 1,000 parking spaces and cost an estimated $15 million to build. The State Center Community College District board voted Tuesday evening to approve the project.

Suicide prevention exhibit coming to Stanislaus State, Modesto Junior College

Modesto Bee

Students’ mental health is one of the primary health concerns at college campuses nationwide, said Megan Rowe, health education coordinator at Stanislaus State.

Fresno State to help grow STEM in Egypt

Business Journal

Fresno State will assist in creating a teacher education program focused on STEM education in Egypt. The design and implementation of this program comes as part of a $24.2 million award from the United States Agency for International Development.

Is science a red vs. blue issue? Fresno seminar to examine politics and journalism in science

Fresno Bee

Former Fresno Bee reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner Deborah Blum is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech on April 9, 2019, during a seminar on science journalism at Fresno State.

Education Department rejects nearly all applicants for a student loan forgiveness program

Los Angeles Times

Tens of thousands of public servants have applied to have their federal student loans forgiven through a temporary relief program run by the U.S. Education Department. Fewer than 300 have had success.

The Looming Danger for Dissident Professors

Los Angeles Times

Dissenting from the powerful progressive currents on our nation’s campuses can be very dangerous. Those who challenge the orthodox norms find little support among faculty, students, and administrators and can be severely punished socially and professionally.

EDITORIAL: The Supreme Court teaches the Academy of Art a lesson

San Francisco Chronicle

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid to halt an employee case against the Academy of Art. Luckily, that provides a chance to scrutinize the school’s enrollment practices.

Apprenticeships:


ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

Why Harder, other valley reps are asking EPA for close review of delta water plan

Modesto Bee

Political leaders from the valley are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to closely scrutinize new water quality standards proposed for the San Joaquin-Sacramento delta.

Energy:

PG&E shakes up leadership in deal brokered by hedge funds. Gov. Gavin Newsom isn’t pleased

Fresno Bee

PG&E on Wednesday appointed a new CEO and overhauled its board of directors in a move brokered by major hedge fund investors.

See also:

Are you a Merced-area resident who gets power from MID? Your bill’s going up

Merced Sun-Star

Customers who get their electricity from the Merced Irrigation District will soon see a 2 percent increase in their bill, officials with the water district announced. The increase is the first change to the rate since 2010 and MID said it was necessary to keep up with rising costs of operation.

Is the cost of your gasoline about to rise? Washington looks ready to talk about a tax hike

Sacramento Bee

The Trump administration and congressional Democrats have found something they agree on — and it could mean higher taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel.

We Checked President Trump’s Dubious Claims on the Perils of Wind Power

New York Times

More recently, in rallies and speeches, Mr. Trump has stepped up his attacks on wind turbines, suggesting that their noise can cause cancer (there’s absolutely no evidence of this) and predicting power failures when the wind stops blowing (also not true).

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

What are states doing amid nation’s second-largest measles outbreak?

Visalia Times Delta

The measles outbreaks in the U.S. this year — the 387 current reported cases in 15 states is already the second-largest figure in two decades — have highlighted the importance of fighting off the disease through immunization.

This brain scan changes how doctors treat Alzheimer’s. Here’s why it’s so hard to get.

Modesto Bee

Researchers at the Alzheimer’s Association and the University of California reported results of a new study Tuesday, showing that when doctors were able to definitively diagnose Alzheimer’s disease using brain scans, they changed their patients’ treatment in roughly two-thirds of the cases.

Bad Diets Are Responsible For More Deaths Than Smoking, Global Study Finds

Capital Public Radio

Some 11 million deaths annually are linked to diet-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease, a study finds. Researchers say that makes diet the leading risk factor for deaths around the world.

Hepatitis C Not A Barrier For Organ Transplantation, Study Finds

Capital Public Radio

Researchers found that antiviral drugs are effective in preventing transmission of the hepatitis C virus from donated hearts and lungs to recipients. The result could help reduce organ wait times.

One of us was a pain patient saved by opioids, the other was addicted to them. We both deserve a solution

Los Angeles Times

With overdose deaths at record highs, many Americans believe that we have over-treated pain at the expense of those who became addicted to prescription opioids. Increasingly, the media and politicians all but deny that pain exists, highlighting the blight of addiction and doing precious little to address either.

Human Services:

California Surgeon General Launches Statewide Listening Tour Focused On Childhood Trauma

Capital Public Radio

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California’s first surgeon general, says some of the biggest public health risks facing the state stem from childhood trauma.

See also:

Beyond the tampon tax: How far will California go to end “menstrual inequity”?

CALmatters

In California, menstrual equity means exempting period products from state sales tax and ensuring that tampons and pads are provided as freely as toilet paper in public schools and universities, government building and prisons.

CA baby sex surgery bill: LGBT groups support, doctors oppose

Sacramento Bee

Who should get to decide what to do when a baby is born with atypical genitals? That’s the question lawmakers are grappling with as they consider a measure that would ban doctors from performing genital-altering surgeries on infants unless deemed medically necessary.

Local law firm donates $10,000 to Bakersfield Homeless Center

Bakersfield Californian

A local law firm donated $10,000 to the Bakersfield Homeless Center Wednesday, in an effort to help combat the city’s homeless crisis. The donation, made by Chain, Cohn, Stiles law firm, will go toward the center’s job skills training program and street cleaning team in downtown Bakersfield.

Families With Children Are Significantly More Likely to Live in Poverty in California Than in the Rest of the US

California Budget & Policy Center

Poverty is more prevalent among families with kids in California than in the rest of the US. In California, 18% of all families with kids and 20% of families with kids under age 6 have incomes below the poverty line – much higher than in the rest of the US.

See also:

California’s Behavioral Health Services Workforce Is Inadequate for Older Adults

RAND

Funding has not kept pace with an existing behavioral health workforce shortage crisis, the rapid growth of an aging population, and the historical lack of geriatric training in higher education for the helping professions.

Health-care costs for retirees climb to $285,000

CNBC

Despite the hefty price tag, there’s a piece of good news about retirees’ health-care costs: They aren’t rising as quickly as they were even a few years ago.

IMMIGRATION

San Diego County sues US over asylum-seeking family releases

Bakersfield Californian

San Diego County sued Wednesday to overturn the Trump administration’s cancellation of an immigration program because the move has led to the quick release of families after they cross the border without allowing time for travel arrangements.

Border Patrol’s largest holding area — known to migrants as ‘the kennel’ — is overwhelmed

Los Angeles Times

Overwhelmed by an influx of migrant families, the federal government’s largest holding facility for people caught crossing the border illegally has run out of space and exhausted its budget.

Guatemalan boy who died in U.S. custody on Christmas Eve had the flu, autopsy finds

Los Angeles Times

An autopsy report confirmed that an 8-year-old Guatemalan boy who died while in custody of the U.S. Border Patrol on Christmas Eve succumbed to a flu infection — one of two deaths of Central American children in December that raised concerns about the government’s ability to care for minors at the southern border.

See also:

Trump’s false claims about Mexico’s immigration system

Washington Post

Trump says Mexico began to detain thousands of Central American migrants at its southern border only this week. Let’s not beat around the bush here — that’s totally false. They’ve been doing it for decades.

See also:

Short of Workers, U.S. Builders and Farmers Crave More Immigrants

New York Times

As a tight labor market raises costs, employers say the need for low-wage help can’t be met by the declining ranks of the native-born.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Subdivision going to the auction block

Business Journal

When Tulare County puts Lindsay Mission Estates up for sale in June in an online tax-recovery auction, the 36-acre former citrus grove will come with some of the pre-construction work done.

‘Opportunity Zones’ Spur New State Tax Incentives

Pew Research

Governors helped the U.S. Treasury Department choose nearly 9,000 economically distressed “opportunity zones” where people can get a tax break for investing in certain businesses and properties.

Housing:

Visalia’s birthplace may become high-rise apartments

Visalia Times Delta

A 150-year-old slice of Visalia history and iconic venue could soon find new life as a high-density senior housing project in the heart of downtown. City officials announced they intend to sell the Old Lumberyard site on Oak Avenue. The 1.54-acre lot was appraised at $1.2 million.

More money to fight homelessness could come California’s way under this bipartisan plan

Sacramento Bee

Congress is considering giving a $750 million bump in help to comprehensive programs to help the homeless, with agreement from both Democrats and Republicans that it’s an innovative approach to a persistent issue.

Bipartisan Disapproval Over Trump Administration’s Housing Program Cuts

Capital Public Radio

Lawmakers told HUD Secretary Ben Carson Wednesday they’re very unlikely to support the administration’s budget plan to cut billions of dollars from housing and development programs.

Only rent control can keep Californians in their homes

San Francisco Chronicle

State legislators recently introduced a package of three bills that would make huge strides toward alleviating this housing crisis and protecting families.

Opinion: ‘Housing first’ policy fails to consider needs of homeless women, children

CALmatters

Gov. Gavin Newsom is shifting control of the Juvenile Justice Division to the California Health and Human Services Agency, away from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, with the goal to better identify and address early childhood trauma to prevent future incarceration.

EDITORIAL: A second court loss should tell Sacramento not to rob money from consumer fraud

San Francisco Chronicle

A state appeals court ruled this week that California is wrong to hold on to $331 million from a nationwide bank settlement and use the the funds to pay off housing bonds.

PUBLIC FINANCES

Walters: A crackdown on misuse of taxpayer money?

CALmatters

As documented in this space on several occasions, local government officials throughout California have been thumbing their noses at a state law that prohibits them from using taxpayer funds for political campaigns.

Higher gas, diesel taxes being seriously discussed in Washington

McClatchy DC

The Trump administration and congressional Democrats have found something they agree on — and it could mean higher taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel.

TRANSPORTATION

Here’s what you need to know about traffic and road work on Highway 41 this month

Sierra Star

Highway 41 near Fish Camp in Mariposa County will be under one-way traffic control for most of April due to an “emergency job,” Caltrans announced.

See also:

Merced County voters approved a special tax to fix roads. So when will the roads get better?

Merced Sun-Star

Merced-area officials sang the praises this week of a half-cent sales tax that is beginning to fund transportation projects but it remains unclear how long residents will have to wait to see significant results.

Millions for Bakersfield road projects to become available each year after city finishes TRIP without bonds

Bakersfield Californian

Millions of dollars per year will soon become available for improvements to Bakersfield’s roads as the Thomas Roads Improvement Program winds down.

DMV dysfunction prompts Newsom to ask for new workers

San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking $168 million to hire more than 1,100 new employees at the California Department of Motor Vehicles and make other changes to reduce long wait times at DMV offices.

A Revolution Sweeping Railroads Upends How America Moves Its Stuff

Wall Street Journal

In the biggest change in decades, freight industry switches to system with fewer trains on tighter schedules.

To build the cities of the future, we must get out of our cars

National Geographic

The purpose of cities is to bring people together. In the 20th century, we blew them apart.

WATER

Final snow survey looks promising for Valley farmers

abc30

The survey dipstick plunged deep into the snow at Phillips Station at 109.5 inches on Tuesday. Statewide the snowpack is 162% of average after a series of spring storms that seemed never to stop.

See also:

Water Rushes Down Oroville Dam’s New Spillway For First Time Since 2017’s Crisis

Capital Public Radio

The California Department Of Water Resources used the dam’s main spillway for the first time  since the 2017 incident, which led to the evacuation of more than 180,000 people in Oroville and downstream.

Skelton: California tax to clean up toxic drinking water has lawmakers jumpy

Los Angeles Times

The ghost of Josh Newman haunts the state Capitol, sending shivers through certain politicians’ spines at the mere mention of the scary word “tax.”

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Chukchansi Park got quite a facelift. Here is what’s new at Fresno Grizzlies games

Fresno Bee

Ready for a new and improved experience at Fresno Grizzlies games? The Triple-A baseball team’s new ownership invested $3.4 million during the offseason toward improvements at Chukchansi Park, and it’s all ready for public use come Thursday night’s season opener.

Kearney Mansion is turning into the scene of ‘The Great Gatsby’ for this Saturday event

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Historical Society has arrived at its 100th year. To celebrate, the organization is throwing a Great Gatsby-themed centennial gala on April 6 at the Kearney Mansion west of Fresno, California.

Free food: Cake, burritos and more at Fresno, Clovis restaurants in April

Fresno Bee

Free cake. Now those are some sweet words. During April 2019 several big-name restaurants in the Fresno/Clovis area are offering free deals. They include the cake, a free burrito on National Burrito Day and tax-time deals.

Benefit concert will help raise money for Central Valley Honor Flight

abc30

Three country music singers will take the Tower Theatre stage to raise money for Vietnam veterans to go on the Central Valley Honor Flight.

Dogs’ day out: Mega Adoption Event to offer adoptable animals, pet activities, more

Bakersfield Californian

The annual Mega Adoption Event, put on by the Make Kern No-Kill Coalition, is back for its third year at the Kern County Fairgrounds, but this year’s event isn’t just for people looking to adopt, but also for those who already have furry friends.

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The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

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